Spirit Killer
by DAve and Bob
Summary: What if you had the ability to kill someone just by looking at them? Thus is the fate of Jiao Dao a girl living on Kyoshi Island. To turn something to ash, to burn right through it with just a stare. However, after she finds out her ability can kill even spirits she decides to travel with the Avatar locating a certain monster all while trying to keep her sanity.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**Am I insane?**

I often wonder...what this island would look like painted red. It was a thought that would enter my head everyday once a day, a thought that crept into my mind and never left once I started thinking about it.

It was hot and humid, like fish swimming in boiling water. This heat never went away, it stayed...always on the island named after that one avatar, I walked through the town. I think I dressed myself rather well that morning, this town didn't have a wide collection of colors. However I think that brown and green fit me well.

I look at my hand. They are normal, human hands, though a ring was placed on one of my ten fingers. I simply looked at the ring, it's always been attached to my finger since a young age. I need that ring, I need it to keep my head from bursting, though there are exceptions for keeping my ring on. A certain thing I can only do with it off, certain things I can feel even when it's on.

_"I should **** it off..."_ did I say cut or take, did I mean my finger or the ring. I probably shouldn't think too hard about it...

I look at the people passing by, they are smiling happily mingling like they always do. On this island filled with people that know one another, a place that was always hot and had a pond right in the middle. Children smiling as they pulled their mother's dresses asking them to buy their favorite treat. Old man chatting in the corner talking about their work or wives. This was Kyoshi island, a island that had remained neutral in the war.

_"All these people...how funny would it be to see them impaled?" _I held my mouth, something hot was rising in my throat. An imaged entered my head, a ******* image. My thoughts flashed before me, I wanted to vomit as I swallowed harshly.

_"Am I insane?" _it was a question I often asked myself. Sometimes I would get these thoughts, but they were never this bad. Today they were awful terrible even, sickening to the point that it should have driven me insane. This ring on my finger keeping it at bay, I could remove it in short spurts. But I doubted my sanity could take more than a few hours without it on.

_"...No, I'm not insane, not yet," _I reassured myself of this fact. I was a well trained girl after all, I could probably run up or across a wall without much hassle and disarm someone in less than five seconds. Though that was more my mother's interference then anything...though I think that was the wrong order... that shouldn't have been placed there.

"Jiao?" my body stiffened, I heard a familiar voice behind me. I turned to face them.

Make up, the make up of the island's creator as well as her uniform. One would only need to reference the giant statue in the middle of the city to see what they were based on. The girl in front of me was a Kyoshi warrior no doubt, and from the sound of her voice it was easy to tell which one.

"Oh...hi Suki!" I smiled as I raised my hand, it was nice to speak to someone every once in a while. However I couldn't help wonder why she spoke to me, my mom was pushing me to join the Kyoshi warriors and I easily had the skills to do so...but, that really wasn't my goal. Fans wasn't my weapon of choice and I doubt I would mesh well with a lot of them.

It wasn't them...it was me.

Which brought me to my next question, why was she talking to me? Suki was a nice person, a really nice person, if a little stern at times. But that didn't change the fact that she just started a conversation with me. It would be like seeing someone you worked with out in the open, you wouldn't casually say high to them...well you would, but not in this situation.

Suki and I, we are two people that happen to know each other names and my mother expressed interest in me joining the Kyoshi warriors. Past that we do not know one another.

Suki simply looked at me, it was odd to see her in uniform. She was probably preparing to check around the island for any intruders. Her gaze slowly turned into a look of confusion and concern however before she spoke.

"You were just standing here, staring off into space..."

My eye twitched, that's right. I was just thinking about something without taking into consideration where I was or when. I cover my face for a moment before I chuckled, I parted my black hair slightly. Thinking about it, it was pretty embarrassing.

"Sorry, sorry, that is pretty weird!" I winced slightly, I at least want to appear somewhat normal. Even if that couldn't be further from the truth as Suki looked at me and sighed.

"Well just be careful, someone could walk into you if you just stand there,"

She made a good point as I scanned her. I was tempted to ask her why she was dressed up even if I had a pretty good hunch as to why she was.

"We're going patrolling...you can come with us," it was a random invitation as my eyes widen for a moment.

She was nice, yes...there was no doubt about it. Suki really was a good person, but...

"I was planning on taking a walk by myself actually. Just something to clear my head," it wasn't a lie. I wasn't just standing in town for no reason just looking around, I was planning on going into the forest and looking around.

Suki paused for a moment before nodding. It seemed that she wasn't going to try to convince me otherwise as she waved before going her own way. I scratched the back of my head as I tapped the knife in my pocket, it was the perfect weapon for an assassination. The style of fighting my mother taught me, a style where you could decapitate someone with a single hand or cut someone int 13 pieces in less than 3 seconds...

Of course, I was nowhere near such a level yet. I probably won't ever be, not here...not where I don't have to worry about killing anyone. However I often wonder to myself.

_"Why do I have a knife with me?"_

That question was better left unanswered, I knew the reason...I knew the reason why I would want to keep a knife on me when there was no danger. I push those thoughts in the back of my head as I head into the forest.

* * *

The trees covered the sun, the shade was relaxing. The leaves fell carelessly off the trees as a breeze blew through. I took a deep breath, it was as if I was breathing the cleanest air in the world. I scanned the area, I was alone, like a speck in the darkness...though that was wrong since the sun was still shining. However, I seem to be having trouble coming up with similes.

Either way, I scanned the area as I looked at a thick tree trunk. I took off my ring, I felt heavy, like chains were wrapping around my lungs. My vision blurred as my stomach twisted, I did not take my eyes off of the trunk I simply continued to look at it, my gaze fixated on killing it. My heart wanted to jump out of my chest. My eyes widen for a moment, at that moment a hole appeared in a tree. No, less then appeared and more like was burned into it, a pile of ash was on the grass.

Thus was my curse, ten years ago... after a certain event I gained the ability to burn through things simply by looking at them. Burn holes though them like they were paper, not just wood, even stone and metal would be punctured easily. The flames were always red, but there was no limit on what I could burn through...of course that wasn't healthy for my mind.

Imagine, living everyday with the ability to just look at someones head and make it vanish. To be able to kill someone on a whim with so little effort on your part. The floor isn't there anymore, the walls are nothing but a big pile of dark ash, to have such a thing in their head...it would drive anyone insane. Because human's aren't supposed to be able to do that. Human's aren't supposed to just burn things like that with ease.

I know for a fact if it wasn't for this ring I would be insane. I know for a fact that I would be a killer if it wasn't for this ring. Though I wonder...at times I wonder something to myself.

_"If I did, I wonder what kind of person I would be," _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

**My heart is throbbing**

I opened my eyes, what was I staring at? A ceiling, I was in my room. I tapped my chest slightly, I guess I wandered back into my room and fell asleep. Sometimes I have slight gaps in my memory, no big deal, like it's no big deal I can't remember the first seven years of my life. Or like it's no big deal I can't remember the entirety of my 15th year of living.

My mother said if I forgot something then it wasn't worth remembering...speaking of her I wonder where she could have went.

I lifted myself up from my bed and looked around my room. Nothing really changed since last time, my bed was in the same place as always. I was never really high maintenance nor did I ever concern myself with things. I guess I was just a simple person, I kept trying to think about things I like, but most of it was just simple stuff.

Nothing specific to me, hmm. I guess I could always work on finding something like that, I always ramble in my head about nothing...like right now, I guess I can ramble a bit in my head about something.

I exited my room and was in the main room of the house. Well...I call it the main room, but there were overall only four rooms in the house, which was enough for two people. Though despite this I noticed that my mother wasn't in the room at all, it was annoying to say the least, I wasn't hungry, but I still wanted to tell her that I was going out.

It really didn't matter though, if I wasn't there she would know that I was gone, so me telling her was just a formality. I walked towards the front door, but it opened before I reached it.

The door opened reveling the person I was wondering about. My mother's long black hair and dull gray eyes stared at me, she was a little bit taller than me. Though she was a rather slender woman, someone who could sneak in and out of any place without being detected, well considering what her profession use to be...it made sense.

"Hi~" her voice was in a usually cheery tone as she gave a small solute. "You know, you should really work on your sleeping schedule, it's already noon!"

I rubbed my eyes slightly, I guess I did have a tendency of oversleeping. But I would probably pass out if I didn't sleep, so I sleep so I won't die later.

"Sorry mom, I was just about to go out," I stated as my mother laughed. I guess it was funny, the kind of thing I did every day, despite not buying anything and not having anything I want to buy I went out in town like any normal person was...Well, to be fair, I was the most normal person I know..I didn't know a lot of people.

"Well, that's fine..." despite her cheerful voice, the tone in her voice shifted. Though her expression stayed the same, her tone became much darker.

"The avatar and his friends are in this town... I don't want you talking to them," she was still wearing a smile despite giving such a demand. Thinking about it, was there ever a time my mother wasn't smiling? Hmm, I guess that doesn't matter too much, since there is never a time my mother was never smiling that is the only face she had.

"Okay," she didn't tell me the reason, but I didn't need to know the reason. I was a normal person, so isn't best to treat the entire thing as an event that you didn't notice. The Avatar being on the island is an event that will go unnoticed by me, like air or wind simply passing by. One of the many events that I simply will not notice.

My mother nodded as she stepped to the side, I walked out of my home giving a small wave. Though, there was a question in the back of my head. Why was my mother out in the first place?

It probably didn't matter as I continued on my daily walk, noticing the large crowed of people in the center of town, yeah there was no doubt about it. That was probably the Avatar in the center, of course I could get a clear look at him. Though despite the whispers and cheers, I felt a harsh tapping in my brain, I honestly had no idea what it was.

However, for some reason I wanted to take off my ring...I couldn't see the Avatar. Still, why did I want to take off my ring, I always see terrible things and feel terrible without it on. It was impossible to see past the crowd, but I decided to give into my brain's whims and remove my ring.

"...Ah?"

My brain, it was trying to comprehend what I was seeing, it was...something not human. It was right in front of me, in the middle of the crowd. My brain was processing it as the blood vessels in my head started to twitch. I wasn't sure if I wanted to scream or laugh, but what I was seeing was something that wasn't a human whatsoever, or animal or anything.

My stomach started to curl up, I...I...what did I want to do?

I really wanted to kill that thing, I wanted to cut it up along with whatever was hosting it. I wanted to make it vanish from the world, I wanted to crush it with all my might...yeah. I felt heat rising in my body, as smile crept on my face, I slowly touched my pant pocket. I hand my knife, oh yes...I had my knife. Maybe, if I crept through the crowd unnoticed, maybe if I slithered about...I would be able to.

"...Jiao?" A voice, I heard a voice call my name as I flinched. Whatever trance I was in ended as I quickly put my ring back on.

I turned around to face the voice, it was one of the Kyoshi warriors, it wasn't Suki...but it was someone I had a vague knowledge of. "Saya..." they were difficult to tell apart when they were wearing their make-up. The girl grinned, her brown hair was done in a ponytail before nodding.

"You're getting really good at telling us apart..." there was a small moment of silence, "you don't look so good Jiao, are you okay?"

I probably was still heaving and holding my chest, no matter how hard I tried I can't get the image of what I just saw out of my head. I probably would have tried to do something terrible if she didn't speak to me. Of course that was a probably, I straightened myself out. I fought back the headache and tried to appear as normal as I possibly could.

"No...I'm fine," I smiled as the Kyoshi warrior frowned before letting out a sigh.

"Well, whatever, I guess you already heard about the Avatar. You wouldn't be out here if you didn't," she made a offhanded comment as I scratched the back of my head.

"Actually no, I don't want to get involved with someone like that. I was just going to take a walk in the forest, that's all," I replied truthfully as Saya shrugged.

"Well, alright, but if you need anything, just ask. I probably can't do much, but I will help out," what an odd thing she said to me. We weren't particularly close, I just knew her name casually. Yet, she said she would help me out if I was in trouble, she was probably just being nice, I can't think of one reason why she would say that...

"Well, I'm off, Suki can be a real pain if I'm late for training!" She smiled at me before walking by, for some reason I took note of her completely average brown eyes. I don't know why I decided to focus on those eyes, but I did.

Either way, I needed to get out of town as quickly as possible, I didn't want to see the Avatar and regret what I was going to do if I saw him...still, for some reason I had a horrible feeling.

That tomorrow was going to be even awful.

**Author note**

**A slow chapter, I guess I should hurry up and get to the Zuko romance, since this is probably super boring and you don't care how crazy Jiao is. Also, you probably already have a pretty good idea what Jiao saw.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

**Saya's Song  
**

My eyes snaped open, I woke up in my bed. Well, it should go without saying that I will always wake up in my bed. It was something that is natural for people to do after all, I turned to face my window, the Avatar was still in town for some reason. I really wanted him to leave, I really wanted him to just go away. My head throbbed when I'm around him.

"Whatever..." I grumbled slightly as I lifted myself from my bed and got dressed. I walked into the main room, once again my mother wasn't there at all. She was most likely out shopping like she always did. I took a deep breath, I wasn't particularly hungry either. I was probably just going to go out for the day, like I always do.

I was starting to feel heavy, like no forward motion...a feeling I did not have up to this point. I walked out of my home, just in a daze, I felt somewhat sick and confused.

As I walked down the street, I wondered what could be causing this feeling, it wasn't the feeling I got when I wanted to hurt someone...it was a different feeling something far heavier. Something I could express in words, not even in my own mind. Was it because of the Avatar? Was it because he was staying in town, no that would be too convenient.

I noticed a distinct lack of benches in the town. It made it quite difficult for me to sit down and just take everything in, I try a lonely tree as I sit under it. My thoughts are scattered, I really wanted to think straight, but for some reason it was impossible. My mind was a foggy scattered mess, I hated it, what a worthless mind. If I could I would lift it and smash it against the ground until it was fixed.

"Hey...here you are again, with that half dead look in your eyes..."

My eye twitched. I looked up, it was Saya...for some reason she didn't have her make up on, and I knew for a fact that the Kyoshi warriors were meeting that day.

"Oh...hey Saya," it probably wasn't the nicest greeting I ever gave, especially to someone who was most likely concerned.

Saya pouted slightly before smiling. She then sat next to me on the ground, it was fine by me. I actually needed some company every once in awhile. There was a moment of silence between us as Saya finally spoke up.

"What do you think about forever?" Saya was casual with her words, as I simply looked at her.

Forever, something that goes on and on with no end. Something that is eternal that will never fade and never vanished...something that...

"Doesn't exist, if it has a shape it will crumble, if it has a form it will fade away. Nothing is forever, and everything will end sooner or later, even the land we're standing on will die. That is just how everything works," perhaps I was too blunt or too creepy. Still it was an unchanging law, nothing is forever, even things that last thousands of years might have bad luck one day and die.

As long as something exist it will end.

Saya remained silent for a moment before lifting herself from her place next to me. "Come with me..." that was the only thing Saya as I lifted my body as well. I didn't have anything better to do, I never had anything better to do.

We walked to her house, it was a small building made of wood. Of course Saya lived alone, no one actually asked about her parents since it seemed like a bad idea to bring it up. She opened her door, as we both walked inside.

It was dark, all of Saya's windows had a small thin cloth over each of them. I looked around, books, books upon books scattered on tables and chairs. Papers scattered about with small scribbles on them. It was strange, when I first met Saya I would have never imagined her to be someone to read so heavily.

"Jiao... this is something for me..." Saya said that phrase without context as she scrambled on the floor looking for a particular book. While she was searching I took the time to pick up one of the many random books scattered about. I turned to a random page, all I see were some pictures of spirits and some pointless rants about them.

None of the information was important to me because I know for a fact that I will probably never encounter a spirit. Still, I wondered why she even bother taking me here. That until she pulled out a rather large dusty book, it almost seemed as old as the island itself.

"I know for a fact that I can reach forever!" Saya grinned as she cracked open the book. She continued speaking, "have you ever heard of the four immortal benders?"

Of course I haven't it seemed like a rather specific thing to say, but I remained silent Saya laughed slightly before continuing. "It's alright, I know you wouldn't have...no one have, but you don't mind listening for a moment right?"

"No, I don't mind," I replied, after all I really didn't have anything better to do, if I did I wouldn't be there in the first place.

"Good! Well, around 800 years ago, four benders made a pact to gain immortality. Each one for each element and each one had a different reason for doing so, I've been looking into these books for awhile. My parents had a lot of them actually," Saya skimmed the pages. "Of course, to gain their immortality they had to do awful horrible things to people...but it was probably worth it in the end!"

She said the last line with a smile on her face. I felt my chest get heavy, it seemed that Saya was just as creepy as me sometimes.

"Yeah, that's good an all, but aren't those just stories? I mean, outside of the Avatar there aren't any airbenders left? Don't you think an immortal airbender would notice something like that?" I really didn't want to crush her dream or anything, but there is no such thing as immortality. I know that with all my heart, I don't know why I knew that, but there is an end to everything.

Saya lost all emotion in her face, she simply stared at me...not changing her expression at all.

"Okay then, why don't you go to the woods tonight...I want to show you something," that was all she said, she sat down and started to read her book ignoring my very existence. I wanted to ask why, but for some reason I doubted she would answer me in her current state of mind.

"Um...fine," I knew I was probably going to regret agreeing to go, but there was no reason for me to say no.

There was never a reason for me to say no.

* * *

The moon was out as I looked out my window, I knew my mother was asleep as I sighed. My window was big enough for me to sneak out, even if I was caught by mom she knew me well enough that I wasn't going to do anything bad or harmful to others.

I climbed out my window as I softly landed on the ground. I had no idea what time Saya wanted to meet me, so I simply decided to go when I know everyone else was asleep. I crept around the empty town, it felt strange how soulless everything was when there was no one else around. I entered the forest, the moonlight being the only light around.

I touched my knife, I don't know why I touched it, but just having it on me made me feel safer.

I went deeper into the woods, I had no idea where Saya even wanted to meet me, but my confusion was dispelled as I heard a voice behind me.

"...Jiao, you made it."

I turned around, it was Saya she was smiling. I should have been relieved, but for some reason I felt something crawling in my chest. Like a spider walking towards my heart.

"Y-yeah!" I stuttered slightly, Saya looked around before smiling.

"Come on...follow me!" Her cheerfulness made the entire thing even more unsettling, but I didn't deny her as we both went deeper into the woods.

As we traveled deeper I felt a sickening feeling in my chest, my stomach started to rumble. The area around us started to fog up, I got the same feeling that I had when I saw that thing near the Avatar. The deeper we went, the more it felt like I was in some kind of nightmarish dream.

Saya finally stopped, trees and fog surrounded us. She chuckled as she looked around pushed leaves to the side, as she pulled out a small cage, there was a squirrel mouse in it. They weren't uncommon on the island, the creature was struggling to get out of the cage as Saya opened it up and grabbed the creature by its tail.

It let out a squeak as Saya walked towards the largest tree in the area.

"Jiao...I want to show you something...can you see it, please tell me you can see it!" Saya smiled as she hung the animal over the trunk of the tree.

My heart was racing again, it dawned on me just how awful everything there was...just how off everything appeared. I wanted to leave, I realized my mistake and wanted to run away. I felt a knot in my stomach, I wanted to vomit.

Saya grinned, and the squeaks from the animal stopped. That was because the top half of its body was torn off. Like something devoured it, Saya dropped the legs as the vanished as well. My mind was nearing its breaking point, I wasn't supposed to be here. I wanted to slam my head against the wall, I was looking at something that obviously wasn't there.

"You saw it...right Jiao!" Her eyes met mine, Saya wasn't acting normal, she wasn't acting like a human at all. There was a few drops of blood on her fingers, I felt like I was going to collapse as she continued talking.

"You know, spirits? They come into our world sometime...some can talk some are just masses, I can see this spirit Jiao, I've been feeding it. I was hoping it would provide some nectar to grant me my wish or something...but it seems animals aren't enough. So, Jiao, I'll ask one more time, you can see it right?"

I didn't know how to respond to her words. However, I had to give some sort of reply, even if my vision was blurring.

"No, I-I can't see anything," I managed to choke out those words.

Saya looked at me, a mixture of disgust and disappointment ran across her face, "I see, I guess this is fine too. I should start with the least notable people on the island and work my way up anyway. I'm sure no one would mind if you vanished, I'll feed your mother to it as well if she comes looking for you..."

Now I really was confused, I didn't even know what she was talking about. It sounded like absolute nonsense to me.

"W-what are you saying?"

"Jiao...I'm asking you to die for me." Her words were blunt, but I didn't have toe time to even process them as I felt something strike my stomach flinging me into a nearby tree.

My vision was cut of for a moment due to the sheer impact, my body quickly moved from my spot, realizing it was in danger as I felt something whiz past me and a sound of a falling tree afterward. There was something attacking me, there was something there trying to end my life at that moment as I heard Saya speaking.

"You can't see it right? So you're going to die, there is nothing wrong with that..."

My vision slowly returned to me just in time for me to feel a tugging on my leg as I was lifted by an unknown force. I couldn't even scream as I felt the grip tighten around me. Whatever was happening, I knew it was bad, down right horrible even. Whatever had me could kill me simply by slamming my head against the ground repeatedly.

I took my knife and tried to cut away at whatever was holding me. It felt like a rope, so it had to be a rope, but despite my efforts nothing happened. I heard Saya laughing.

Despite all of this, I wasn't worrying about dying. No, my focus was on the knot in my stomach and how I wanted it to stop. How I wanted the feeling that my brain was about to pop open to vanish away. Both of my hands were free...my ring was still on my finger, I didn't know why but...I thought, I thought, I thought, I thought.

So before my body is broken, and before I'm slammed against the ground...I wanted to take it off, so I did...

My mind shattered once again. I was looking straight at Saya, but that wasn't what was causing my brain to shake. It was the thing behind her, a giant beautiful blooming flower, a lovely shade of pink gorgeous in every way. Otherworldly even, however, the bottom half, the stem, there was mouths giant gaping fangs scattered around it.

Vines waving about, each mouth drooling as I noticed the thing attacked to my foot. It was a vine, it honestly should have been cut before, but for some reason my knife didn't work. In the end it really didn't matter then, if my knife didn't work then there was nothing I could do...

"I'm not a bad person Jiao, but I don't think there is anything wrong with killing someone for your dream...sorry but you have to die now!"

More vines wrapped around my body eclipsing my vision as I was lowered to the ground and dragged towards the creature. I know I was going to die, I know that I was about to be killed. There was nothing about it...I hated it, I hated it, I hated it.

I didn't want to die,I didn't want to fade away, such a disgusting monster, irritating monster, worthless monster. If this monster wasn't here I wouldn't be in this situation, if this monster didn't exist I wouldn't be scared, if this monster wasn't anything I would be fine!

Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting. This monster was disgusting...so.

It should disappear!

My eyes were wide open...the vines that were wrapped around my body were burned away...they were no more. I stared to laugh, I laughed from the bottom of my heart. I was freed, but that wasn't why I was laughing. I heard a screech from the monster, of course it would scream. I just burned off some of its limbs.

"W-what?" I heard Saya's nervous voice...but that didn't mean anything to me...I just kept laughing.

"I see, I see. You want to kill me, right monster...that's okay," my voice was gentle. I was shaking though, ten years of yearning was about to be released, something I couldn't do to anything else I was about to do now!

"That's fine, we can kill each other!" I smiled, I was happy from the bottom of my heart, I was finally able to kill something!

**Author note**

**Ug, so much build up. I need to give a reason for why Jiao wants to leave the island and what not. So that reason will probably show up in the next chapter. Also, I really need to focus on tense in first person view, I made a lot of mistakes. **

**Sorry for the slow build up still.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
**

**Killing Intent Blooming  
**

The creature moved unnaturally as I kept a tight grip of my blade. Saya backed away slowly, as if wishing for the monster to protect her. Was it going to comply? Was it truly going to comply to the wishes of a weak girl who could never hope to reach forever? Of course not, the creature moved its vines ever so slightly as if it was flicking a bug. And knocked her way like garbage.

Fine by me, I was going to cut her throat regardless. It was perfectly fine, perfectly grand and perfectly alined. The moon was watching us still, the flower's vines reeled back. Dancing like snakes, before jetting forward like spears. They would impale me and rip me to shreds. But for some reason that excited me, I almost started to drool.

This feeling I had, my heart started to race...its beat not stopping once. I wanted to keep this feeling forever, as if it was some kind of bottle inside ready to burst...but before it burst. Before my ecstasy took over my mind. I had to erase the ugly that was in front of me!

I swiftly moved between the transparent vines. Getting closer to the blooming flower, I weaved the creature letting out such an ugly scream. It hated me, it hated me, it really did hate me.

Whatever, it didn't matter. I simply avoided the next barrage of vines. In the end there was nothing to the monster in front of me, no immortality or mind. Just something that would soon vanish. I casually shoved my knife into the creature as it screeched once again.

"Please...please disappear," it was gentle...as I burned the plant from the inside out...at least I assumed I did. The creature twitched before it let out a far more human scream. The beautiful petals twisted and its insides were lit aflame. It was a deep red, as soft dust slowly floated in the air before twisting into a spiral. At that moment it vanished, it was gone...erased and broken.

I looked up as my head throbbed, it was gone. Far deader than dead, it might as well not have existed at all. Whether it was a spirit or a monster it didn't matter, once it was dead it was dead. I didn't need to worry about it anymore.

I held my chest and looked around, I wasn't finished...not yet. I scanned the entire area before smiling. There she was, simply lying underneath a tree. A gash in her head, her eyes closed. Her chest moving ever so slightly up and down. There Saya was sleeping so peacefully...she would look a lot better like that forever.

I crept closer to her, slowly putting my knife away. How was I going to kill her? Decapitation, bashing her face in? Perhaps bisection? As I finally stood over her I looking at the perfect face that spouted so many perfect lies I grinned. The blood slowly running down her face from her wound.

I mounted her, as my hands slowly wrapped themselves around her neck...and I squeezed. I never had done something like this, it was my first time. It was most likely going to be a bit awkward. The more I pressed my thumbs into the middle of her neck the more I realized it must have been difficult for her to breath. Her eyes snapped open as she started to kick.

However I just squeezed tighter, she started to chock. Her eyes slowly started to roll into the back of her head. It wasn't going to be much longer.

_"No...this is wrong..." _My eye twitched as my hand loosed from around Saya's neck. Yes it was wrong, killing another human being was wrong, killing a monster and animal was alright...but not a human. However, that wasn't the reason, the reason was. I knew if I killed her I wouldn't ever be able to recover. I would have lost something important that I would have never gotten back.

I backed away, holding my head. I slowly pulled out my ring and slipped it on my finger. The moment I did that, a pressure hit my chest, as if I was going to cough up my own heart. Heavy, I felt heavy, my mind was slowly breaking again and I wanted to break my skull. I started to collapse, falling over into the soft grass and leaves of the forest. I felt like I was going to die...but it didn't matter.

_"I'll sleep before I die, so I'll will wake up in my bed tomorrow..."_ there was no logic in my statement. I knew full well that Saya could wake up before me and crush my head...but that was alright...once I fall asleep then things will always turn out better tomorrow.

* * *

This was a nightmare...I looked around. I see the moon, my hand slowly touched the soft ground. A red Liquid coated the ground. I lifted my hand, it was splotches all over the buildings and grass. It was as if someone crushed raspberries and splashed them about. It was as if someone crushed pumpkins and let the insides of them leak out.

I stagger to my feet. I was not alarmed by bodies scattered about. It was as if someone took them apart...like a doll.

"I should find dad..." My mind wandered a little, after all this was a story no one remembered, and a story even I forgot...

* * *

My eyes snapped open I sat up in a bed...it had to be my bed right? After all, there was no beds in the forest so the only bed that I could wake up in was my own. At least that is what I assumed. I held my breath and examined my surroundings, metal. Metal all around, me, only a tiny window showing anything and everything. This wasn't my bed, and the steady rocking filled me with fear of my location.

I staggered up, I was still wearing the same clothes I were wearing last night. I shivered slightly, what happened to Saya? Where was I, no I had a pretty good idea where I was...it was simply.

I got up from my seat and examined the window to met with waves of blue...I was on a ship

* * *

**I am so sorry this took so long and was so short. I was kind of running around and got busy with some other stuff.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4  
**

**Think Like a Human  
**

Where was I?

Where was I?

In this metal cage on this fast blue ship...Where was I?

My head hurt, like something was cutting into my brain slicing up the wrinkles across it. I felt sick, I felt confined. Before my mind wandered any further I heard a steel door slowly opening up... I didn't turn around, my hand flinched as I looked at my hand. Yes my ring was still on my hand, I knew someone was behind me.

"Oh, you're awake..." I turned around and faced them. A man in a red and black uniform was speaking to me. I knew that uniform, it was from the Fire Nation. I knew that uniform, it had been implanted in my head.

I needed to calm down, my thoughts were too scattered. Too broken, I-I needed to think like a person, even if that wasn't possible, I needed to pretend to think like a normal person.

"Y-yeah I am awake," I knew my questions would be answered. They had to be answered, I just looked at the man, holding my best. Trying to get my thoughts in check. It seemed that even he was at a lost of words how to proceed with the conversation.

"Princes Zuko would like to see you..."

That name, I had a vague memory of it. No, rather I had heard someone mention it off hand a long time ago, like the cover of a book that had been worn off. Something that no longer had any importance, yet I kept in my skull for whatever reason.

"Okay..." I assumed I wasn't their prisoner. I wasn't in a cell, even if they were probably checking in on my. After all, to them I was just a random girl who had a knife in her pocket. I wasn't anyone dangerous, I didn't consider myself anyone dangerous.

The man sighed, as he motioned me through the door. I followed as the sinking feeling I had slowly started to overwhelm me. I walked through the metal halls of the ship. This confined place, this place that seemed that would crush my body in an instant...why can't I think straight. Why can't I think normal for once. Was it because I was nervous, yes...that was right.

If I was a normal person this anxiety would be ever present. But considering who I was...this weight felt 100 times worse.

As he lead me up through the ship and onto the deck. My head throbbed, I looked off on the side of the railing. Just the color blue, nothing but blue. No land in sight, no escape. Just an endless amount of sea that stretched on forever.

I really was trapped on this ship.

As I was looking over the side, the man leading me glanced over for a moment. Before looking towards what I assumed was his commander. He whispered into the man's ear. Well I say man, but looking at it, he probably was closer to my age.

He slowly turned his head as my eye twitched. The stand out feature on his face was the scar over one of his eyes. I simply stared at him for a moment, he was Fire Nation. There was no doubt about that, still when he looked at me there was something off. Despite his glare there was something different about him.

If I could make a comparison, he reminded me more of Suki than he did of Saya. Of course that probably didn't really mean much in my current situation. Actually that brought up something else...

Where was Saya? Before I could think the commander of the ship walked up to me and glared.

I held my self for a moment, maybe he wasn't that bad. He could be a really nice guy.

"So, you're the stowaway that sneaked onto my ship..." There was a certain amount of unexpected venom in his words. For some reason, I just met him and I had a feeling that he probably hated me.

"Ahaha...sorry," I tried to act casual. Regardless of the reason why, I was the unannounced visitor. Even if my host was less than stellar.

He waited for me to continue my statement. Probably not realizing that sorry was really the only thing I could say. After all, I had no idea why I was there, or how I got there. Actually where was I even going to go from there? It didn't seem like a simple matter of me just leaving.

"Umm...sorry, but was there another girl with me when you found me?"

Just a simple question, I was worried about Saya. Not for her safety, but what she would do, there was obviously something wrong with her, though I was probably in no position to talk.

The teen simply looked at me for a moment and frowned. "We are dropping you off at the next port, don't get in our way!"

Not only did he not answer my question he was rather rude about it. However, this was probably the best outcome for this situation. I wasn't going to be thrown overboard and I wasn't going to be forced into some shady situation. I would be dropped off at the nearest port and hopefully maybe find a way home, or at the very least not being put in this horrible position.

"Now Zuko, that really isn't a way to treat a lady..." an elderly voice as I turned my head.

I was greeted with a cheerful old man. Almost like a grandfather. He stuck out between all the scowls and frowns that were on the ship. Not only that but he seemed to have been carrying something, a bunch of books and papers.

I glanced over to the scarred teen, he simply grumbled as the elderly man sighed. "I apologize for my nephew's reaction, it just came to a great shock to all of us that you are here...after all you just appeared on our ship,"

I made a mental note of that fact. Still, that was odd, very odd. If someone did find me passed out in the forest why would they take me to a Fire Nation ship of all places. There were a lot of questions that weren't being answered and it seemed even more were going to be visited upon me.

"We also found these on you, they seem to be books of some kind...don't worry I didn't read them," the man smiled as he handed them to me. I wanted to say I had no idea what they were about or why they were on me, but decided to keep my mouth shut. After all, it would probably be better that I read them first before anyone on the ship could.

"By the way, my name is Iroh," the man smiled as I gave a soft smile back.

"My name is Jiao D-" I paused for a moment, it was probably best to keep my last name to myself. Not only was my family decently famous in the Fire Nation, people had a nasty habit of using it instead of my first...even if it was proper I disliked it.

"Jiao..."

Iroh stroked his beard before smiling. "Well Jiao, you are welcome to stay on the ship until our next stop. The room you were being held in was good enough I assumed?"

"I'm not really picky with where I stay, and don't worry I won't get in anyone's way. I know how annoying that can be..." I bowed slightly to the man called Iroh before turning my attention back to the prince. It seemed that he had erased me from his mind as it seemed that he was more concerned with tracking maps.

I gave a small sigh of relief, I didn't want to get on anyone's bad side. Something like that was far more troublesome than it was worth.

I made my way back to my 'room' clutching the books I was given tightly. I was honestly interested, what could be in these books?

I quickly entered the room and closed the door behind me. The sun was still up as I sat on the bed before spreading the books apart. There were five in total, upon looking further into them it seemed closer to stacks of research scrolls ripped and bound together. I picked up the blue covered and slowly whispered the name on the cover.

_"For Vermilion Waves..."_

**Author note  
**

**Sorry for the 6 month hiatus. I've been really busy with stuff. **


End file.
